1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a soccer training system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Soccer is a game played worldwide. Scoring occurs when a ball is kicked by an offensive player past an opposing defensive player, known as a goalie, attempting to prevent entry of the ball into a goal. When the offensive player is unsuccessful, the defensive player often has merely obstructed or deflected the inbound ball away from the face of the goal, thereby returning the ball to play. Typically, the defensive player's attempt to prevent the offensive player from scoring a goal is effective. The defensive player's occasional failures to prevent passage of the ball might be considered as allowing holes in goal coverage. These holes in goal coverage can be targeted and thereby exploited by experienced offensive players.
The aspiring offensive soccer player can benefit from practicing and training in front of a goal that is defended by a goalie. Such practicing and training promote more frequent success in scoring goals by improving the offensive player's effectiveness in kicking the soccer ball past the goalie and into the goal by recognizing and exploiting holes in the goalie's defense of the goal. Unfortunately, training time in front of a goal with a goalie is often limited. Moreover, for some novice players, practice with a live goalie may initially represent too great a challenge to be beneficial. However, both novice players and more experienced players can benefit from practicing and training with a static defensive simulation incorporating reproducible and repeatable defensive targets or returned kicks.
The present invention can provide a variety of useful soccer training exercises by allowing both novice and experienced offensive soccer players to practice with a simulated defended goal by kicking balls at target holes in the simulated defended goal or by contending with deflected kicks in the form of soccer balls rebounded from the simulated defended goal. Of course, a higher level of training would involve practice time in front of a soccer goal defended by a live goalie. The present invention allows practice approaching that level when a live goalie is unavailable. Moreover, without a live goalie defending the goal, novice offensive players can practice kicking soccer balls at an undefended goal. Further, the goal of the soccer training system of the present invention may also be used as a goal in an actual game of soccer. Still further, a goalie can also benefit from the present invention by practicing defending the goal from one or more offensive players. Clearly, there is a need for a soccer training system that can provide a multitude of training modes and options.